How to write an amendment to a contract

Chelsea Day - Updated April 17, 2017

There are many reasons to amend a contract. Changes in circumstance or price and market fluctuations can affect all sorts of contracts. Amendments are frequently used in contract agreements, such as mortgages, purchase agreements, employment terms, broker agreements and more. While most contracts specify procedures for contract amendments, amendments can be made easily with both parties' agreement. No lawyers or professional counsel is needed, as amendments are relatively straightforward and easy to write.

Discuss the amendment terms with the other person or persons who signed the original contract. A contract can't be amended without all of the original contract signers signing the amendment.

Write "Agreement to Amend Contract" at the top of the page in bold font, centred.

Enter a blank line below the title.

Enter the names and descriptions of the people who are agreeing to amend the contract, as well as the title of the initial contract and address that the initial contract relates to (if any), and state that the parties are agreeing to amend the contract. This sentence should be written in the following format: "John Doe, employee, and Jane Johnson, employer, have entered into a contract titled 'Employment Agreement' regarding employment at the following address: 12387 Madison Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 97340. Employer and employee hereby agree to amend the contract as set forth below."

Enter a blank line below the opening paragraph.

Write the section or issue that will be amended in bold, followed by a period. The section or issue may be any topic related to the contract, such as "Salary," "Payment," "Expenses" or "Rates."

Write the changes to the issue on the same line, two spaces after the preceding period and in plain type. For example, if the bolded topic was "Salary," the sentence might read, "The employee's salary is hereby changed to £52,000 annually."

Insert a blank line below the sentence describing the amendment to the contract.

Repeat steps 6, 7, and 8, as necessary, until all amendments to the contract have been described.

Insert the sentence "All terms and conditions of the contract not specifically amended herein shall remain in full force and effect."

Insert a blank line.

Type the name of one signer of the initial contract, followed by that signer's title. For example, you might type, "John Doe, Employee."

Insert a blank line below the name and title of the signer.

Insert 25 underscores in a row, with no breaks in between, to create a horizontal line on which the signer will sign her name. This will produce a line that looks like this: "********_"

Insert the word "Date" followed by a colon and 15 underscores in a row, with no breaks, to create a horizontal line on which the signer will write the date. This line should appear as follows: "Date:****_"

Repeat steps 11 through 15, inserting the names and titles of all signers of the original contract.

Print the contract.

Have all original signers of the contract sign and date the amendment.

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About the Author

Chelsea Day started writing professionally in 2005 and has been featured in publications such as "Beverly Hills 90210" and "The Travel Magazine." She holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from University of California, Los Angeles and runs the popular lifestyle blog Someday I'll Learn.